Mini-drone assisted tree canopy sampling: a low-cost and high-precision solution

Zhi Liu; Yuanyuan Yan; Jiayin Pang; Qi Guo; Junze Guan; Jiacun Gu

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1272418

Mini-drone assisted tree canopy sampling: a low-cost and high-precision solution

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Oct 16:14:1272418. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1272418. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Zhi Liu¹, Yuanyuan Yan¹, Jiayin Pang², Qi Guo³, Junze Guan¹, Jiacun Gu¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
² The UWA Institute of Agriculture and School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
³ Heilongjiang Institute of Forestry Science, Heilongjiang Academy of Forestry Science, Harbin, China.

Abstract

The collection of tree canopy samples in forest ecosystems has been challenging for researchers and managers during the past decades. Various methods, including pole pruner, tree climber, shooter, throw-line launcher, hydraulic lift (e.g., tower crane) and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle)-based devices, have been used, however, they are limited by sampling height restrictions, safety hazards to a climber, low retrieving accuracy, high equipment costs, and transportation inconvenience. This study proposed a novel method for collecting tree canopy samples using a portable mini-drone. The mini-drone is operated to pull a traction line across the target branch, drag the retrieving rope to the selected cutting point of the branch, and carry the equipped wire saw or chain saw to cut the canopy sample off. Through on-site testing and field trials, this method was feasible for lower- and middle-canopy sampling (up to 30 meters tall) across most temperate broad-leaved and coniferous tree species. This technique would have great potential in plantation and old-growth forests. Adopting this low-cost mini-drone technique, researchers can collect tree canopy samples safely and efficiently, leading to improvements in relevant physiological and ecological studies focusing on functional traits of branches, leaves, and seeds.

Keywords: UAV; branches; canopy sampling; chain saw; foliar sampling; leaves; mini-drone; wire saw.

Grants and funding

The authors declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32071749) and the National Key Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No. 2022YFD220030304).